Southern Province Minister, Cornelius Mweetwa, has expressed concern over the continued abuse of President Hakainde Hichilema’s use of the term ‘Kutumpa Uko’, during his recent public address in the Copperbelt Province.
Mr Mweetwa, who is also United Party for National Development (UPND) spokesperson, says the opposition political parties have taken the statement out of context.
He said the cliché ‘Kutumpa’ is a common saying which is widely used in the Zambian vocabulary when referring to something, which is not acceptable.
Mr Mweetwa was speaking when he addressed the media in Livingstone today, before attending the eight Intergovernmental Standing Committee meeting on Shipping (ISCOS) for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa.
He said the ruling party finds it extremely strange that the words that have been used before by two previous Heads of State in Zambia are now being taken out of context and be attributable to insults.
The UPND spokesperson said President Hichilema should be judged by the same political yardstick that his predecessors were judged.
Mr Mweetwa said late President Levy Mwanawasa and former President Edgar Lungu used that cliché during their reign.
“President Mwanawasa did at one point use the term in reference to the leading opposition party leader then Michael sata, ‘Nga watumpa; fyala kubipila’, and also President Edgar Lungu once he took over the reigns of leadership of this country did address union leaders who then had indicated that he had failed to provide leadership of this country by saying ‘Kutumpa for the union leaders to say I have failed’,” Mr Mweetwa explained.
He has therefore encouraged those debating President Hichilema’s use of the cliché ‘Kutumpa’ to reflect on how they reacted back then when two Heads of State used the same terminology.
Mr Mweetwa has since called on the opposition political parties to provide relevant checks and balances to the ruling party as opposed to focusing on an issue that has no bearing on the Zambian people.
He said it is unfortunate that Mr Winter Kabimba is saying President Hichilema has lowered the demeanor of the presidency by making that statement.
Mr Mweetwa recollected that Mr Kabimba was one sarcastic person who used derogatory language when he served as Justice Minister and as secretary general for the Patriotic Front.
The UPND spokesperson also explained that the ruling party has great respect for former President Lungu as a statesman and that it is unfortunate that he has decided to start throwing political jabs at President Hichilema.
“Political history is clear in Zambia, that whenever there has been change of government, the sitting President would arrest his predecessor. President Chiluba arrested Kaunda, President Mwanawasa arrested President Chiluba and President Sata arrested President Rupiah Banda, and we as a party in government understand that President HH has not arrested President Lungu because he wants the country to open a new page and begin a new political journey,” he explained.
Mr Mweetwa said President Lungu, as the only surviving former President, should be a unifying factor of the country and not an agitator.
“President Lungu, as the only surviving President, has a duty to provide relevant political guidance when there is political uncertainty in the country. He should have a higher moral ground to summon either the serving President and other parties to unite parties together and restore harmony as opposed to attacks,” he said.
He charged that President Lungu’s political life as someone who occupied political office has expired but that he can be of political relevance to the country by providing relevant guidance.
Mr Mweetwa said President Hichilema has in the past one year and seven months been working tirelessly to transform the economy, create job opportunities as well as business and entrepreneurship opportunities.
He said people should focus on matters of development as opposed to political mudslinging.
Mr Mweetwa wondered why opposition political leaders that had been quiet have now come to the fore to discuss an issue of no relevance to the Zambian people yet they have been silent on matters that border on national development.